About the inquiry

This 3rd grade inquiry asks students to think about a challenging local public policy issue:  eminent domain.  The compelling question—“Was the Chickamauga Dam worth it?”—engages students in an examination of a historic eminent domain case study that happened right in their backyard.  The Chickamauga Dam was a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) project — a result of FDR’s New Deal to improve the country’s infrastructure and to jump start the economy to pull the US out of the Great Depression.  But, in order to build the dam, developers had to use eminent domain which displaced people in the town of Old Harrison.  Students in this inquiry weigh the benefits and costs of public projects like the Chickamauga Dam and determine the impact of using eminent domain for the common good.

Compelling Question

Was the Chickamauga Dam worth it?

Staging Question

Imagine that three students brought bags of M&Ms to class to eat at recess. None of the other students had a similar tasty treat. The teacher decides to take the candy and divide it evenly so that each student has a little bit of candy instead of just three. Discuss: Is that fair? Who benefits from the teacher’s decision? Who doesn’t benefit from the teacher’s decision?

Summative Performance Task

Argument: Was the Chickamauga Dam worth it? Construct an oral argument using the ‘taking a stand’ protocol and answer the compelling question--was the Chickamauga Dam worth it?

Extension:

Taking Informed Action

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